⚠ Warning! Mentions of abuse and domestic violence. Also light smuts too. Not too bad but not too light either so... Yeah.⚠

Hercules P.O.V.

I picked up my phone, answering the unknown number written across my screen.

"Hello?"

"Hercules?"

I furrowed my brow. I didn't recognize the voice on the other side of the line.

"Uh... This is he...?"

The voice on the other side seemed overjoyed at this fact.

"Oh, my god!"

I quirked my eyebrow, looking to my dormmate, John, while shrugging.

"Uhm... Yeah... And this is...?"

The unknown voice seemed dissapointed. "You... Oh, I guess it's been a while, huh?"

"I... Guess...?"

"Oh... Well, it's Lafayette." My face immediately lit up, and I looked excitedly to John.

"Oh, my god! Lafayette!" John's face lit up as well as he leaned forward.

I couldn't hear Laf's accent anymore. I didn't think it had been that long.

"It's been so long! I haven't seen you since you moved!" I could hear Lafayette's smile from across the phone.

"I know! It's great to hear your voice again." John got up and walked to the kitchen, giving us privacy.

"It's been too long." There was a small pause. "So, Virginia, huh? How's life treating you there? You happy?" Suddenly, I couldn't hear his smile anymore. It faded into a sorrowful silence.

"It's nothing like New York." I nodded. "You should come visit. It's been a while. I'd love to see your handsome face again." He chuckled, his laugh contagious even through the phone.

There was a bit of semi-awkward silence before I broke it.

"I'm serious. Come on up." There was a bit more silence before he responded.

"I will."

~Days later~

Laf was coming up today. After our talk about a week ago, he decided that he'd drive up and stay for a while.

Alexander and John were over, and I had ordered pizza for when Laf came.

"Get a room you two." I groaned in disgust as the two made out on the couch. "You're just jealous because you can't move on from him." I rolled my eyes, looking away.

It was true. I was only upset because I was single. I was single because I couldn't move on.

A knock arose at the door. I scrambled up, straightening myself before moving swiftly to the door and opening it, beaming.

My smiles soon faded as I saw him.

Lafayette stood behind the door, his once long, fluffy hair cut, bruises littering his face and what was exposed of his arms, his smile broken.

"H-Herc? Is something wrong?" His small smile faded as I moved aside to let him in. He sat down in a chair, and I sat next to him, on the arm of the chair. Alexander and John had finally stopped sucking eachothers faces now that Laf was here.

"Wow, Laf. It's been awhile." Laf nodded at John statement. "Sure has."

"So, what's new in life? Got a new job? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?" Laf chuckled at the bombardment of questions.

"I got a decent job that gets me by. Have a boyfriend..."

"What happened to your hair?" Alexander finally acknowledged the elephant in the room. "Yeah, you loved it." John included.

"Well... I... I cut it not too long ago. I... I didn't like it anymore." I furrowed my brow. That didn't sound like Laf.

I remained quiet as John and Alex interrogated the Frenchman. About an hour and two pizzas later, John and Alex left, leaving me and Laf alone.

I ran my hand down his muscular arm, counting the bruises. "Who... Who did this?" Laf looked away. "N-no-one." I quirked my eyebrow, running my hand up his arm and gently caressing his face. He took a deep breath, leaning into my hand.

He suddenly pulled away, standing up and moving back. "I... I can't, Herc... If he found out..." I nodded slowly. "Wh-who is he anyways?"

Laf sat on the couch, hiding his face in his hands. "His name is James... James Reynolds." I didn't know a James Reynolds, but he seemed awful.

"He did that to you?" I moved closer, sitting on the couch. I set my hand on his arm, massaging a bruise with my thumb. Lafayette nodded his head slightly. "I... He didn't want me to leave..." I felt tears well up in my eyes. Who on the face of the earth could be so cruel as to hurt my Laffy?

"It's not true is it? That you just didn't like your hair?" He shook his head. "Oh... Your pretty brown hair..." I ran my hand through his short hair. "You always loved it..." He nodded, tears sliding down his face. "I guess... What, he didn't like it? So you just... Cut it?" He nodded softly.

"Hercules... I'm so sorry... I... I want you to know that... That I still love you... But... He... I can't get rid of him... If I leave him... He'll hurt me more..." I nodded softly, playing with one curly lock of hair that was slightly longer than the others.

"I don't mean to pry... But you're not happy with him, are you?" He silently shook his head. "Oh, Laf..." I pulled him close, rubbing his back as I felt him begin to sob.

"That town... That job... That guy... You can stay here. You can leave them behind." He shook his head. "N-no... I can't... I don't want to get hurt... Hercules, please... Please don't let him hurt me..." I tightened my grip on the smaller male before me.

"No-one will ever hurt you while I'm around."

We spent a few minutes like this, with Laf sobbing into my chest, scared for his life.

"It's okay..." I ran my hand down his arms once again, causing him to look at me.

"Hercules..." I ran my hand up and down his arm. "I love you... I really do... I'm so sorry for leaving... It was stupid of me... I still love you. I never stopped loving you... I'm so sorry for not being here-" I cut him off by pressing my lips against his, moving my hand down his side.

He hesitated before kissing back deeply, wrapping his arms around my neck. I leaned back against the arm of the couch, moving Laf back with me. He climbed on top of me, straddling my waist, deepening the kiss as he began to grind down on my lap, causing me to moan at the friction.

"Laf... I don't think..." He immediately stopped, climbing off of me. "I-I'm s-sorry... I... I didn't... I don't know what got into me... I just..." I gently caressed his face, rubbing my thumb against his cheekbone. "Shh... It's alright. I just don't want to do something we may regret..." He nodded in understanding.

"I love you, Laf. I missed you. A lot." He nodded, placing his hands on my face, gently kissing me. "I missed you too. So much... I shouldn't have left. I realized... This is where I belong." He kissed me again, running his hand through my hair.

"Don't worry about James, babe. We'll take care of him." He nodded, kissing me once again, gently nipping at my bottom lip.

I granted him access, putting up a fight over dominance, which I ended up winning.

He pulled away soon, beaming.

"We can turn him into the police. What he did to you..." I ran my hand up and down his arm. "Are there more?" He nodded softly. "Can I see?" He nodded, sliding his hand up his shirt, lifting it to reveal multiple cuts of different sizes, and red, blue, purple, and almost black bruises all over his stomach, sides, and chest. I ran my hand down his sides carefully, shocked at the extent of the violence.

"Oh my god... Baby..." He looked down shamefully as I gently ran my fingers along a few cuts.

"He's... He's been beating me... Cheating me... Mistreating me..." I caressed his face, looking into his dark chocolate eyes. "Oh, Baby..." I ran my finger along his v-line, causing him to let out a hum. I gently kissed his neck before sliding my hands up his shirt and taking it off, studying his toned body, memorizing where each bruise and every cut was.

He kissed me, running his hands up my shirt, slowly taking it off and setting it with his own. He ran his hands up my sides, flicking his thumb over my nipple, causing me to let out a small moan of delight.

"God, you're a fox." He smiled, kissing me softly.

"What do you say we get a drink? I know a place down the street." He smiled, nodding as he got off of me, putting his shirt back on, myself following suit.

"I love you Hercules."

"I love you too Laf."

Boy, I'm glad you called.

Word count: 1472

Yo, yo, yo! Look who's back! With... Well... Fluff/angst/smut. Kinda a mix of all three.

It was NOT supposed to escalate so much dammit!

Song: That Don't Sound Like You by Lee Brice

Edit! I got a request to do a sequel so obviously I gotta do it so that'll be coming up next!

So, yeah! That's it folks! Hope you enjoyed this one and see you guys later. Stay cool my little chicklets! Peace out! C: